Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Central Falls teachers reapplying for their jobs | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Central Falls teachers reapplying for their jobs | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

Central Falls teachers reapplying for their jobs



01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

By Jennifer D. Jordan

Journal Staff Writer
CENTRAL FALLS — All of the teachers at Central Falls High School have reapplied for their jobs following their mass firing three months ago, which was part of an effort to turnaround the struggling school.
But the veteran teachers face stiff competition. Supt. Frances Gallo said Tuesday that more than 700 people have applied to work at the city’s only high school, and she expects the number of applicants to grow in the coming weeks.
Gallo said about 87 teachers, guidance counselors, librarians and other teaching staff have applied to keep their positions. One teacher decided to retire and the principal and three assistant principals cannot return to the high school, although they can apply for jobs elsewhere in the district.
Just half of the teachers can be rehired according to federal rules about how persistently low-performing schools must be improved for states to receive millions in school-improvement grants.
Meanwhile, the Central Falls Teachers’ Union is fighting the firings in federal court. At the
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Why the new evaluation plan is good for teachers

Why the new evaluation plan is good for teachers

Why the new evaluation plan is good for teachers

BY DAN BROWN

Wednesday, May 12th 2010, 4:00 AM

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Yesterday's announced compromise on teacher evaluations between teachers unions and New York State is a win for teachers, although many don't see it that way. The deal, which makes students' test scores count for 40% of a teacher's effectiveness rating, marks the first time that test data will influence teachers' ratings or job security.

The concept of tying teacher evaluations to test scores - an idea endorsed so emphatically by President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan that it's a prerequisite for states' applications for the Race to the Top billions - is moving with the momentum of a bullet train. As trains go, you're either onboard, on the sidelines or getting run over.

At the risk of being further castigated for obstructionism, teachers needed to climb on that train. And they did.

Teacher evaluations were long overdue for an overhaul. Last year, fewer than 2% of New York City teachers were rated "unsatisfactory." You can practically count on one hand the number of city teachers fired for incompetence over the past two years. That's crazy, and it reflects poorly on all teachers to have such a softball system in place. There is dead weight in the system and, via speedy due process, it needs to go.

It's a loser to argue against accountability. Since the current system for evaluations was indefensible, the blame inevitably fell - fairly or not - on teachers for appearing to protect their own interests over all else. The unions should have been out in front of this, and they've endured major collateral damage for not being more proactive.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/05/12/2010-05-12_why_the_new_evaluation_plan_is_good_for_teachers.html#ixzz0nj69vjdM
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Budgetpalooza... Or, Mr. Mulgrew, Have I Got a Speechwriter for You :: Frederick M. Hess

Budgetpalooza... Or, Mr. Mulgrew, Have I Got a Speechwriter for You :: Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess's Blog

Budgetpalooza... Or, Mr. Mulgrew, Have I Got a Speechwriter for You

by Frederick M. Hess • May 12, 2010 at 10:10 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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Between the National Journal debate over Senator Tom Harkin's $23 billion bailout, the European Union ponying up a cool $1 trillion to stanch the bleeding in Greece, Mike Petrilli getting frisky on teacher firing, and my own dalliances in NYC teacher policy (see here or here), this is turning out to be quite the week for bailout mania.

Four different thoughts spurred by all this. First, I was struck by this gem from the Washington Post story on the Greek bailout. George Perros, member of the executive committee of the Pan-Hellenic Workers Front, sounded for all the world like he was channeling UFT president Michael Mulgrew when he explained why Greek workers were rioting against the cutbacks imposed by a government scrambling to stave off bankruptcy: "The rights of workers are not 'privileges.' The privileges are being enjoyed by the industrialists and big businesses,"

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Childhood Obesity Task Force Report – ED.gov Blog

Childhood Obesity Task Force Report – ED.gov Blog

Childhood Obesity Task Force Report

Today, we are one step closer to reaching First Lady Michelle Obama’s goal of solving the epidemic of childhood obesity in our country. Nearly one-third of children in America are overweight or obese—a rate that has more than doubled for younger children and tripled for adolescents over the last 30 years. In response to this health crisis, the First Lady is leading a national public awareness effort called “Let’s Move!” to improve the health of our children.Today, the Childhood Obesity Task Force, of which I am a member, released its action plan to tackle childhood obesity within a generation.
Twelve federal agencies and thousands of parents, teachers, health practitioners, and others provided input that is reflected in the report’s 70 recommendations. We have a lot of work ahead of us. But I am confident that we will succeed if we work with parents and youth and with stakeholders across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Many of the task force recommendations can be enacted immediately. Others will take longer. The report includes benchmarks to measure progress toward our goal.
At the federal level, the Department of Education is making available $35 million in grants to schools that can support physical education programs. But all of us can take responsibility for ensuring that our children grow up healthy. All of us need to model positive behaviors—such as walking or biking to work, ensuring that family recreation time includes opportunities to be physically active, and eating nutritious foods.
Today, I visited Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C. The parents and teachers there demonstrated that a focus on health and physical education can have a powerful impact on children’s well-being and achievement. Recognizing that children had no access to a safe park or playground, parents applied for and recently received grants to build an outdoor classroom on the school’s grounds. Parents and teachers also are working with local organizations to incorporate a yoga and fitness component into Tyler’s after-school program. Also in the after-school program, coordinators offer cooking classes that educate children on the importance of nutrition. On the horizon are partnerships with farm-to-school networks that will incorporate locally grown produce into the school’s lunch program.
Results at Tyler are promising. Children and families have a better understanding of how to make healthier choices. Test scores are up, and the teachers and parents notice that the children are more engaged in their learning. Through the First Lady’s leadership and by learning from examples such as the healthful programming and partnerships at Tyler Elementary School, our goal of ending childhood obesity can be achieved. I look forward to collaborating with states and local communities to implement the task force recommendations and to learning more about promising efforts to improve our children’s health across the country.
Secretary Arne Duncan
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Philadelphia Public School Notebook Notes from the news, May 12

Philadelphia Public School Notebook

Notes from the news, May 12

Submitted by Erika Owens on Wed, 05/12/2010 - 10:02 Posted in Notes from the news | Permalink
Phila. schools chief defends security cameras The Inquirer
South Philly High now has 149 security cameras. Superintendent Ackerman responded to criticisms about the cameras after testifying to City Council about the District budget.
See also: Ackerman defends school-camera costs Daily News
Ackerman Talks Budget, Cameras at Philly Schools Philly Weekly
Daroff council picks Universal The Notebook blog
The deadline for School Advisory Councils to recommend providers was yesterday. In a surprise pick, Universal was Daroff's first choice.
Beleaguered principal gets a community-service award Daily News
Councilwoman Blackwell said "I had no doubt that [South Philly principal LaGreta Brown] should get" the award.
See also: The Onion Comes to Philadelphia Young Philly Politics
Pennsylvania Kids Deserve School Choice Wall Street Journal (opinion)
Op-ed by gubernatorial candidate and school choice supporter State Sen. Anthony Williams.
See also: A late entry, Williams has a pool of backers Daily News
School choice group gives Williams another half-a-million PA2010.com
Truancy Calls A Very Public Education blog
Why is no one talking about the uptick in truancy calls?
Prom Gown Give-A-Way A Very Public Education blog
Tweet and Blog for Ed Tech Philly Teacher blog
Please email us if we missed anything today or if you have any suggestions of publications, email lists, or other places for us to check for news.
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Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Profit in charters? Yes

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Profit in charters? Yes

Profit in charters? Yes

by Mike Klonsky
"There's a very fine line between what all of us do, and fraud..."--Whitney Tilson, hedge-fund school reformer


Skeptical friends continue to ask me: "Is it really possible to make a profit operating a charter school(s)?" I remember the above-mentioned Tilson mocking anyone who suggested such a thing and edu-business experts like Mark Dean Millot saying that running schools, "is a very unprofitable business.: I've offered several explanations to my friends about why profits may be driving much of the charter school business.

Maybe Juan Gonzalez from Democracy Now, can convince them that there's gold in them charters.

AMY GOODMAN: Juan, before we move on to the Gulf, you have a very interesting column in the "New York Daily News" today, an exposé around big banks and charter schools.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Yes, Amy, one of the things I've been trying now for a couple of years is to try
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Schools Matter: If You Can Hide the Facts That Don't Fit, Hide Them: If You Can't Hide the Facts, Declare Them Irrelevant

Schools Matter: If You Can Hide the Facts That Don't Fit, Hide Them: If You Can't Hide the Facts, Declare Them Irrelevant

If You Can Hide the Facts That Don't Fit, Hide Them: If You Can't Hide the Facts, Declare Them Irrelevant

by Jim Horn
In the case of the latter reform strategy of declaring the facts irrelevant, New Jersey's (and the Business Roundtable's) Education Commissioner, Bret Schundler, provides a prime example. Because the reality does not fit the "terrible teacher" narrative that Governor Christie has adopted, two days ago Schundler denounced New Jersey Public Schools as a “wretched system” and the state’s #1 national ranking on the NAEP in both 4th and 8th grade reading and math as “irrelevant.” Facts don't fit the ideology? Just declare them meaningless.

In the case of the former reform strategy of changing the facts, school turnaround artists in Houston recently have demonstrated an ability to jigger the facts and manipulate the data in ways that would make even the former Superintendent, Rod Paige, blush. In so doing, another Houston Miracle has been realized, no less
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The Educated Reporter: Special ed on the decline?

The Educated Reporter: Special ed on the decline?

Special ed on the decline?

by Linda Perlstein
My colleague David Hunn, a terrific data-driven reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and I have been putting together some materials for new education reporters for the upcoming EWA conference, and David came upon something interesting in federal numbers he crunched from the Data Accountability Center. After many years of increases, the share of Americans ages 3 through 21 with identified disabilities declined, from 8.5 percent in 2006 to 8.3 percent in 2008. This parallels a small decline in disabled children as a percentage of total enrollment in federal programs, according to this NCES table.

I am not sure what the difference is in the two sets of stats, because I have not seen David’s original data set. But in both cases there has been this slight dip. Has anyone written about this? If not, why? A leveling off or even decline in disability identification is a big national story, given how much special education has increased over the years. Schools might be responding to pressure not to disproportionately identify minority students as


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